Seventeen years ago we set up our website. The objectives were simple, showcase our business, inform and educate those on our data base (and the world at large) about products old and new.
We could suggest answers and remedies for any problems that may inhibit their enjoyment of cigars and/or pipe smoking. Pipesmoking potholes, and for cigar smokers – “Make it go Right”.

But how, was the question.
Regular articles were the obvious answer – “Across the Counter” was born.
It has been, and still is, fun to keep going with these articles.
Many of the blogs addressed solutions to customer problems that have cropped up through the shop or via the Internet.
At times we have taken quotes or ideas from authors such as Rick Hacker, and adapted them to apply to our customers.
We never stop learning and every now and then we come across, or are sent, interesting articles related to the world of cigar or pipe smoking.
We recently included an article on the Profile of a Pipeman submitted to us in 1970.
As promised here is the delightful cigar smoking article sent to us by a customer in 2012.

The very finest cigar I never hadRobert Fulghum, UH-OH

You might as well know now. A cigar is the centerpiece of what follows. And you might as well also know that I have been known to smoke one of those things from time to time, despite what I know about all the good reasons not to. I'm just assuming that you sometimes do something of your own that you shouldn't do, either, and will understand. Moreover, I only had one puff from this cigar. Yet it was the cigar I will never forget.

One fine fall morning in San Francisco. I had taken a cable car from Union Square to the foot of Columbus Street, intending to walk back through the old Italian quarter of North Beach. In a great mood. A week of hard work had gone well, and now I had a couple of days off to myself. So I had gone into Dunhill's and bought the finest cigar in the shop to smoke on an equally fine walk.

If you happen to appreciate cigars, this was a Macanudo, maduro, as big around as my thumb and six-and-a-half inches long—a very serious cigar. If you do not appreciate cigars, this one is best described as one of those cigars that would make you say, "My God, you're not going to smoke that thing in here, are you?"

After a few blocks' walk, it was cigar time. With care I removed the cellophane, squeezed the cigar to check for freshness, and held it to my nose to make sure it wasn't sour. Perfect.
Leaning against a tree, I cut the end off the cigar with my pocketknife and carefully lit up. One puff, and I said aloud to myself: "Now that, THAT, is some cigar!"

It so happened that I had been standing in front of a coffeehouse. A cup of fine espresso would add the final right ingredient to a recipe for a memorable morning. Placing the lit cigar carefully on the wide brick window ledge of the coffeehouse, I went inside to order. While waiting at the counter, I glanced out the window to check on my cigar. Gone. My cigar was gone.

Abandoning my coffee, I rushed to the door. And stopped short. There on the other side of the glass was an old man examining my cigar with the skill of an aficionado. He held the cigar with respect under his nose and smelled it with eyes closed. He smiled. He squeezed the cigar to check for freshness. He smiled. Looking carefully up and down the street, he took a puff. And smiled again. With a heavenward salute with the cigar, he set off down the street. SMOKING MY CIGAR. I followed, not knowing quite what to do. I really wanted that cigar back.

The old man. Salt-and-pepper hair, with grand mustache and eyebrows to match—jaunty black longshoreman's cap, white long-sleeved shirt, black suspenders, and dark brown pants and shoes. Short, plump, wrinkled, walking with a slight limp, the old man ambled on into the morning, unaware of me lurking furtively a few yards behind.

Italian. First-generation immigrant probably. As were the friends he visited to report the good news of the cigar that fate had prepared for him that fine day. I got a tour of the old Italian quarter of North Beach I had not anticipated—the real thing. A pasta shop, a fruit stand, a hardware store, a bakery, and the local priest. At each stop, in passionate terms, he exalted the cigar, his good fortune, and this lovely day. Each friend was offered a sample puff. The fruit vendor squeezed the cigar and approved its ripeness. The baker puffed twice and pronounced the cigar "Primo, primo." The priest gave the cigar a mock blessing.

In time the old man turned toward the bocce ball courts north of Ghirardelli Square, and when he arrived, he repeated for his compatriots his ritual celebration of the cigar and his good luck. The cigar burned down to a short stub. As it came his turn to play, the old man meditated upon the end of the cigar with dear regret. He did not toss it to the ground and grind it underfoot as I might have. No. Solemnly, he walked over to a flower bed, scooped a small hole beneath a rosebush, laid the cigar butt to rest, covered it with dirt, and patted the small grave smooth with his hand. Pausing, he raised his cap in respect, smiled, and returned to play the game.

The old man may have smoked it, but I've not enjoyed a cigar more. If having a lovely memory is the best possession, then that cigar is still mine, is it not? It remains the very finest cigar I never had.

The article is printed with kind permission of the author and BrightSight Group

Robert Fulghum has published eight best-selling books of non-fiction. More than 17 million copies of his books are in print, in 31 languages, in 103 countries.
He is an extremely interesting man, and has lived an extremely interesting life. Visit http://www.robertfulghum.com – I’m sure you’ll enjoy him and his writing as much as I have.
For our USA readers, Robert Fulghum may still be available for speaking on a limited basis and is represented by the BrightSight Group.

Now a wide brick window ledge might be acceptable in certain circumstances.
Last time I spoke about what to do if you don’t have a cigar ashtray, or don’t have one with you.

But what about in your favourite smoking place?

Any cigar, irrespective of its length or ringsize has always posed a challenge in finding a suitable resting place, preventing it from tipping into the ashtray, or falling off backwards.
This “challenge” has been met with the simple, ingenious, adjustable, sliding bridge set up across a long, rectangular ceramic ashtray.

How clever is that?

Elegant and efficient, simply set the rest according to the length of the cigar – slide it as the cigar burns down.
We offer this perfect cigar ashtray at a special price for a limited period.

It all started with Lorenzo Tagliabue, already the third Tagliabue to be in the pipe business. He had an incredible flair for designing pipes with shapes never seen before in the world of classic pipe making.
They were eye catching, well balanced in the hand and mouth, and they smoked beautifully. To hold them was a pleasure. They were predominately smooth finished pipes displaying the various grain patterns to their full advantage. They sold exceptionally well.
After he left this world, the production was taken over by his erstwhile factory manager Riccardo Aliverti, and his son Massimo.

At an early stage in his stewardship, Riccardo made the astute decision to start moving the production to Albania with a resultant price benefit. He now produces in Albania the best value pipes available (under the Spitfire by Lorenzo label), as well as the most popular of the original Lorenzo ranges.
Riccardo didn’t change the Lorenzo vision, he adapted it to suit modern pipesmoking. Following the demand for “filter” pipes, all but the most slender are fitted with Teflon pegs which give the 9mm option.
Many of the pipes in production are more classic in shape and size, but still with the great “good-feel-in-the-hand” styling which he learned from the master.
As far as the curing of the bowls goes, they all go through the same process – corners are not cut.
These are value pipes, not rejects.

The “Lorenzo” spirit for innovation has not been lost.
With the economic and practical need to make more use of those blocks with slight surface flaws, much effort has been placed on introducing new “finishes” to achieve this goal.Some of the “slightly flawed” blocks showed a large degree of hard wood and excellent grain – it seemed a waste to rusticate the whole bowl to cover these flaws.The ingenious “spot carving” was born.
This leaves the background grain open to inspection, while the random spot surface flaws are carved over. If they are all concentrated in one area, only that area can be embossed, while the rest of the very good bowl remains on display.

Other finishes make the most of the briar bowls available. Finishes such as:

K2 carved

Sandtype

Sandpebble

New rustic

Sandblast

Walnut

TwoTone

This is where our annual visit to the Lorenzo stockroom in Gallarate is so important for us.
This is when, and where, we can see what is available.
For example, this year there was a shortage of deep-carved Filtro pipes – but the black sandtype finish pipes were back. We selected a good range of shapes.
We were able to fill in the missing shapes in the Filtro spot-carved pipes, and to find some new shapes.

We also bought the small Dinky, Mini and Bamby pipes, in various finishes; and topped up our existing stocks of churchwardens.
But unfortunately no Lulas at present.

We struck gold in the Oom Paul shapes:
Three finishes in the giant T1 (bowl over 70mm high), smooth TwoTone satin and polished, plus black sandblast, and a striking brown, sandpebble finish; one of his new finishes this year;
plus some T2 (50 – 55mm) Spot-carved and K2 rustic;
and T4 (40-45mm) in neat smooth TwoTone or satin Walnut finishes – part of our next special offer.

“Carvit” blocks straight and bent for the DIY guys – we bought all he had.

These are all on our shelves now. We have a really well-balanced selection of Lorenzo pipes on offer, mostly at less than R650.00.

Still to come – Original Lorenzo shapes Summa Cum Laude (smooth or spot-carved) and 3 original shapes of the large, standing Valsesia, in thumb rubbing, sandpebble finish. We loved this exciting new finish, carving based on the natural grain. We think you will too.
Then there are the downsized Vivace shapes – slightly smaller than the original Lorenzo Valsesia – in 4 finishes.
Just wait till you see the pipes we personally selected from the VIP range: large bowls with a glowing very lightly stained finish, almost flawless, and highlighted by a Gold ring. They will be photographed individually – the pipe you see is the pipe you can get.

And we have found a shape we had never seen before:
The Titano extra-large shape 8687 Spot-carved or Black Sandtype – incredible feel, thick wood, very light for its size, 9mm option. 54-LorT8687 R995.00.

Spending time in my shop often gives me food for thought for an “Across the Counter” article.One Saturday I had a customer looking for a cigar cutter suitable for cigars with ringsizes around 56 and 60. For the uninitiated these are seriously thick sizes – a normal Churchill is a 48 ringsize.

Ringsize:In countries using the Imperial system of measurement (feet and inches), such as England in the past and the United States today, the diameter of the cigar is expressed in “rings”, where one ring is 1/64 inch. So a cigar may be 42 x 5: Diameter 42/64 inch and length 5 inches;In the metric system this would translate as 16.67 x 127:Diameter 16.67mm, length 127mm;Frequently the systems are mixed, and the size is described as 42 x 127 (or 127 x 42).

Back to my customer: We looked at two finger cutters, scissors and punches. We have three guillotine cutters and the Credo two-finger scissors, and other scissors for this size – Ringsize 60 is nearly 24mm diameter.
Just slicing off the whole cap was possibly not an option because the volume of smoke in the draw might be overwhelming, losing all the delicate nuances of the blend.

There were further considerations in respect of the actual cutting, the ringsize may be too large for the whole cigar to be comfortable in the mouth:
If the cigar has a rounded head he could use the scissors or guillotine to cut off an amount sufficient to give a comfortable draw.
A variation on this cut is to cut off a “corner” of the head, and smoke the cigar with the open part uppermost in the mouth and the smooth section on the tongue.
If the cigar had a flat head, a punch would be best.
Our largest Punch cutter is 12mm diameter. This may give a large enough hole, but if not then further overlapping holes could be “punched” until a sufficiently large aperture is formed.

We decided that one of these cutters would work, and if he found the whole cigar too big in his mouth, he could cut the appropriate size hole, press the cigar firmly against his lips, and draw comfortably.
However, in the end we agreed that without actually having the cigars in hand it wasn’t easy to decide.
The cigars were due to arrive with a friend a few weeks later. We would reassess the situation.

On a following Saturday a lady came in with a purposeful look about her. She asked if we had any Petit Churchill size cigars in stock.
On being told we had, she relaxed, and as the shop was not full of people she told us her story.
Her husband was a passionate cigar smoker, not an excessive smoker but one who really appreciates the complexities of strength and flavours that came with large cigars.
But his lifestyle had changed. He didn’t always have an hour, or two to enjoy his Churchills.
He couldn’t just smoke half the cigar and put it down, the total experience wouldn’t have been achieved and he would feel unsatisfied.
A similar situation happened if he cut the cigar down in length. He would miss the gentle building up of the taste – he felt short changed.
He is not alone – we talked about this in a 2014 blog.
But what if the blenders created a thick cigar designed to develop the full flavour over the shorter length?
Perfect for when time is short.
A real friend introduced him to the Romeo y Julieta Wide Churchills (130mm x Ring 55), Short Churchills (124mm x Ring 50) and Petit Churchills (102mm x Ring 50).
Each specifically blended for their lengths and ringsizes.
Problem solved, and the Petit Churchill (almost a “nub”) is now his preferred daytime smoke.
A nice tribute to the skills of the blenders, and rollers of premium cigars.

In the final analysis, for practical purposes, the relevance of ringsize (and length) is that it will determine the rate of draw that is most comfortable for you and the amount of time you need to smoke the cigar.

But my customer’s questions continue:
A correlated challenge for the modern day smoker of these large ringsize cigars, 52 and upward, has been the absence of a suitable cigar case for them. How does he carry his cigars?

This year we have received from India a rich brown, firm leather, 2-cigar case.
Holds cigars up to Ring 60, and is telescopic to 170mm. 73-Ex1060 R599.50

We have also renewed our association with Ramos of Ubrique in Spain.

Just arrived are Ramos superior quality leather cigar cases for a variety of sizes. The preferential customs duties from the EU countries has influenced us to re-introduce this Ramos range of cigar cases to our offerings.
They are internationally acclaimed for their overall design, workmanship and attention to detail, particularly to the stitching and edge-trimming.

It really is a pleasure to have them back.
Handle one, and I’m sure you will agree – they speak for themselves.
73-RM2XL for 2 Extra-large cigars (up to Ring 60, telescopic to 170mm) R1595.00
73-RM3XL for 3 Extra-large
cigars (up to Ring 60, telescopic to 170mm) R1820.00

Throughout our long association with the Savinelli brand we have always admired the incredible consistency of their production – both in quality, and with shapes.

Consistency in qualityBack to the beginning – that’s where we have to go if we want to discover the heart of a good smoking pipe.
Years of experience have ensured that the Savinelli buyers consistently know where to find, and how to assess, the best briar available – ebauchons and plateaux.
From the start all pipe blocks are treated equally.
They all undergo the same boiling treatment to remove saps and resin, and then it is off to the drying room. Here, over a period of 6 to 18 months the dry air will have a dramatic effect on the blocks. As the moisture is drawn out, some blocks will show cracks, some will split completely and others will survive to become dry and porous – suitable to continue in the pipeline.
Grading and channelling the blocks into various quality streams takes place regularly throughout the manufacturing process, and the finished pipes appear after different time periods depending on the effort put into extracting the very best possible result from each grade with no short cuts.
The result is obviously several different grades of pipes – each with strict quality control. The higher the grade the more hardwood you will find and less surface imperfections.
You can be certain that within each grade the quality is consistent.

Consistency in shapes
A Savinelli shape 128 is a classic medium straight billiard, with a taper mouthpiece.
The proportions are always the same - absolutely perfect.
The chubby, short shape 320 is similar to the 321, always just more brawny, with slightly larger dimensions of bowl, shank and mouthpiece, maintaining perfect proportions.
Always!

The subtle differences between the two Canadians 804 and 812, clearly distinguish one from the other. No 804 has a rigid exactness about it – the dead straight long oval shank extending from the right angled upright billiard bowl, fitted with a straight tapered short mouthpiece.
No 812 has a more relaxed, casual air about it – the gently angled long oval shank has a debonair slightly bent taper mouthpiece. No military starchiness at all.
Always!
When we order any pipe we can rest assured that we will receive exactly what we expect, the specified quality and shape – no surprises. It makes ordering so much more certain.

So how has Savinelli remained innovative, and creative, working within such limitations?

Taking inspiration from the beautiful scenery and magnificent art of Italy, and of all things Italian, Savinelli has designed new finishes and ranges in the pre-defined shapes – the annual Collection (see 2017 now available); the Leonardo da Vinci series (now complete); a top quality Punto Oro range (more to arrive); festive St Nicholas pipes; Churchwarden Duo; basic Grezza; and of course the unbeatable Dry System pipes.
With true Italian flair we have been offered new colours on both smooth and rusticated finishes combined with complementary or contrasting colour mouthpieces, embellished with artistically designed rings or bands.
Taking advantage of the porous nature of good briar we have the Miele pipes delicately honey-flavoured with a honey-stick tamper; and the Espresso set, complete with cup & saucer.
When the briar blocks are suitable, their skilled master carvers create the individual Autograph, Briar Line and Artisan pipes.New this year:
We bought a selection of Menta (spearmint tea flavoured), burgundy-coloured bowls with optional spring fitted, chrome pipe cover. Very pale green marbled mouthpiece, delicious Mint Tea aroma. R2350.00

Always up-to-date, anticipating the same demand for smaller pipes as for shorter cigars, Savinelli offers the “Minuto” 10 minute pipe. A small elegant bent in three finishes, it comes with a neat carry pouch, filters and pipe tool.
Rusticated (Rich Burgundy or Deep Green) R1395.00, Natural R1495.00.

Adding even more colour to our selection we bought two new rusticated finishes.
The jet black Jokerfitted with bright black mouthpieces, linked with 3 fine rings of chrome, red and black. (R1295.00)
The light brown Dolomiti Rustic, reminiscent of the rugged Dolomites, fitted with a toning marbled brown acrylic mouthpiece (in honour of Carrara marble) R1650.00

But it was the new shapes in the Venere brown blasted range that really caught our eye.
Designed as a tribute to Botticelli’s “Birth of Venus” the honey-blonde pipes come in boxes with this famous painting, in colour, on the lid. A nice touch.
And the finish: The brown blasted finish has a softer feel in the hand than the usual rusticated finish, reminding one of the softness of the honey-blonde hair of Venus.
September’s selection sold very well, so we were happy to order some more and to include 4 new shapes.
R1750.00

All the pipes we ordered have arrived.
We’re still excited about them, and we’d like to share this with you.

From 11-24 May, 2017, we offer25% off the new Savinelli ranges:Menta, Minuto, Venere, Joker, Dolomiti

Experience the pleasure of choosing pipes of different colours and finishes, while being able to rely on the Savinelli commitment to consistent style and quality.

Colin Wesley

No.403 May 4 - 13, 2017

You can read previous
articles from "Across the Counter" in The
Library.

What’s new?I just love it when I am asked this question in my shop humidor.Cigar smokers today, worldwide, are often spoilt for choice, and still want more.

Those of us who won’t, or are unlikely to, double our age in this world, remember the days when the only really decent cigars available had to be Cuban. Then the first choice was either a Montecristo No.2 or a Hoyo de Monterrey Epicure No.2.How and why did things change?

In May 2005 I wrote: “Are the Americans Happy?”
As I said, it’s a long story dating right back to the 1960’s embargo on Cuban products into the USA, including cigars and tobacco. This embargo had two dramatic effects on the cigar world.
The American market needed good quality cigars and in the hope of replacing the Cuban taste there was a proliferation of Cuban seed plants being grown in the Canary Islands, Dominican Republic, Jamaica, etc. This hope was doomed from the start as it is the soil that determines the taste of the leaf, and each island had different soil, distinctly different from Cuban soil.
Nevertheless, having no option, cigar manufacturers in these countries were determined to upgrade their production and produce high quality cigars in the style the Americans had enjoyed from Cuba known as AMS (American Market Selection). This was a mild light cigar with a slightly greenish wrapper. In this venture they were successful, and brands such as Macanudo Café and Davidoff became very popular.
The second effect was that, once Cuba lost the American market, their cigar production moved from the predominantly AMS blend to EMS (European Market Selection). These were cigars with a rich brown colour, and more taste than the AMS.
And so it was that the American market dictated the mild taste of the non-Cuban premium cigars, and Cuba dominated the taste of premium cigars for the rest of the world.

This situation lasted until the cigar boom of 1990s when Cuban cigars infiltrated the US market and started heading many cigar rating lists in magazines such as Cigar Aficionado. Suddenly the American taste for cigars changed. They wanted more full-bodied, rich-flavoured cigars. Cuban cigars were still appreciated by many, who came by them by hook or by crook. But the manufacturers wanted to impress their own brands before the inevitable day when Cuban cigars were again freely available in the US.

Macanudo introduced its “Robust” range and later still its “Maduro” range. Other brands responded similarly, producing what became known as “Cubanesque” cigars. Even Davidoff created the Millenium “Cubanesque” blend. And cigars from Nicaragua or Honduras, where the soil produces leaf far more like the Cuban leaf, were topping the ratings lists.

Since 2005 Ecuador has risen to be a top country for wrapper from seeds developed in other countries.

Further brands and innovative blends have been developed, offering even more choice for the cigar smokers.

In January we talked about the Honduran Don Tomas cigar – new on the South African market at an unbelievable price. This price turned out to be too good to be true – the manufacturers had inadvertently declared a weight of tobacco that was too low. The weights in a subsequent shipment were corrected, and the correct duty was levied – for both shipments. The prices are now more in line with other cigars of similar sizes, and the quality makes the new price well worthwhile.

The next cigar name we will be offering to you in the Wesley’s shops is the “Black Lion” from La Aurora. Originally these cigars were made exclusively for J.R. Cigars - one of the biggest retailers of Premium cigars in the U.S.A. His volumes guarantee that his quality demands will be met.

One shape, Robusto (127mm x Ring 50), in four different blends. Read more about wrapper leaf, and its effect on a cigar.
Each cigar retails at the reasonable price of R190.00 including Vat.
Humidified zip seal pack of 4 assorted: R684.00.

Here are the blends - taken from the La Aurora website. Some discrepancies on JR website.

Thicker cigars have called for a new range of accessories – cutters and cases.
We talked about the cigar cases in April; this was as a result of a conversation across the counter with a customer who was expecting large ringsize cigars to arrive with a friend.
He was back this week to buy the appropriate cutter. We briefly discussed cutting the cigars, then we looked again at two finger cutters, scissors and punches, at the four guillotine cutters, the Credo two-finger scissors, and at other scissors for this size – Ringsize 60 is nearly 24mm diameter. 73-J1015c 32mm, Black with self-sharpening blades - R85.0073-J1351 25mm, St. Steel with self-sharpening blades - R399.5073-J1105 32mm, St.Steel with self-sharpening blades - R295.0073-J1815 Credo, from France, cuts up to ring 70 - R345.0073-DHPA5248 Dunhill Stainless Steel, up to ring 54 - R3500.00
Cigar scissors:73-J3001 Pocket Cigar Scissors, Chromed 9.5cm - R315.0073-J3121 Long Cigar Scissors, Chromed 14.5cm - R350.0073-J3141 Cigar Scissors Ergonomic grip, Chromed 14.5cm - R795.00

Guess which he chose!

To thank him for the ideas, we offered a 25% discount.
We offer you the same discount for the next “special” (15% on Dunhill):